Tourists take photos in Shinsekai with Tsutenkaku Tower in sight in Osaka, Japan, December 12, 2024.
Kichul Shin | Photo only | Getty Images
Are you planning an international trip this year? You might get lucky if you are willing to fly far.
Long-haul travel is cheaper than last year, according to data released this week by flight tracking company Hopper.
For example, through mid-2025, flights between the U.S. and Asia are down 11% this year compared to last year, averaging $1,087, with capacity up 6% over 2024. European flights fell 6% to $754, Hopper data shows.
Flights to Africa and the Middle East are flat compared to last year, while flights to South America fell 4% to $685 and flights to Mexico and Central America from the U.S. rose 9% to $469.
Meanwhile, domestic ticket prices in the U.S. are rising as airlines have become more cautious about capacity growth in the U.S. and grapple with delays in aircraft deliveries Boeing and Airbus.
Read more CNBC airline news
But the cheaper international travel comes as airlines have increased capacity to popular destinations and as demand growth has moderated compared with post-pandemic surges as travelers rushed to book trips abroad after travel restrictions were lifted. Fares were higher as airlines struggled with labor and aircraft shortages due to the pandemic.
As airlines have increased capacity, fares in Europe were the lowest in years at the end of last year.
“They're definitely not at a point where there's pent-up demand,” said Scott Keyes, founder of travel app Going, formerly known as Scott's Cheap Flights.
Favorable exchange rates for travelers using U.S. dollars in many countries, including hotspot Japan, have boosted demand. According to the Japanese government, the number of international visitors to Japan rose nearly 50% to nearly 33.4 million people in the first 11 months of 2024.
Travel search site kayak said flights to Asia are the cheapest in at least three years and customer interest is increasing. According to Kayak, the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Sapporo and Osaka are seeing the largest percentage increase in searches.
Tourists sit in front of the Patong Beach sign on the coast on the southern Thai island of Phuket on November 29, 2024.
Chanakarn Laosarakham | AFP | Getty Images
Kayak also said airfares were lower in the Caribbean, with cheaper tickets to Dominica (down 21% year-on-year) as well as Barbados and St. Lucia, where the price was down 17% year-on-year.
Travelers flying this year are also more interested in business class, a trend popular with airlines deltawhich begins Friday with airline revenues for 2025, have benefited.
Kayak estimates that searches for these four-figure business class fares are up 19% compared to last year.
Comments are closed.